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Qing Emperor agrees to receive an ambassador from England
The emperor wasn't interested in the "strange objects" and gadgets the west had. -
Period: to
China's events
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European merchants smuggled non-medical opium into China
12 million Chinese people were addicted to the drug opium. -
The Opium War
China's outdated ships were no match for Britain's steam-powered gunboats. -
the Treaty of Nanjing
After a humiliating defeat, China signed a peace treaty, giving Britain the island of Hong Kong. -
Yet another Treaty
The U.S. and other foreign citizens also gained extraterritorial rights. -
The Chinese population grew to 430 million!
As a result, hunger was widespread. -
Taiping Rebellion
Peasants joined rebel forces led by Hong and captured the city of Nanjing, declaring it his capital.